Car dumping apparatus



Maw 12, 1931.

J. D. PUGH 1 CAR DUMPING APPARATUS Original Filed April 15, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet l May 12, 1931. J. D. PUGH 1,804,543

cm DUMPING APPARATUS Original Filed April 15, 1927 6 shegtssheat 2 Original Filed April 15, 1927 a Sheets-Sheet s awuemtoz J. D. PUGH cm Duurms APPARATUS Original Filed April 15, 1927 May 12, l'931.

6 Sheets-Sheet 4 .Z'wvembr J. o. PUGH' May 12, 1931.

GAR DUMPING APPARATUS Original Filed April 15, 1927 e sheets-sheet '5 May 12, 1931. I J. D. PUGH cm nuuvme APPARATUS Original Filed April 15,1927 6 Sheets-Shet e Patented May 12, 1931 ATET I GFFICE JOHN D. PUGH, OF BALTIFZOB-E, MARYLAND can DUMPING APPARATUS Application filed April 15, 1927, Serial No. 184,155. Renewed January 23, 1930.

The present invention relates to car dumping apparatus and particularly to apparatus of this character intended for use at or near coal mines for dumping loaded mine cars.

Coal is generally removed from the larger coal mines by means of relatively shallow ed cars may" be quickly and efiiciently dumped when the cars are presented individually or coupled together in trains. The apparatus is of simple and rugged construction, relatively inexpensive to construct, is capable of continuous operation,thus giving it a very large capacity, and operates with a minimum of power consumption and operating cost. Its operation is smooth and the rolling stock being handled is subjected to no destructive straining or jarring and it may be arranged to operate either automatically, the cars passing therethru and being dumped by force of gravity, or by power supplied in any convenient manner.

The foremost embodiment of my invention which I have selected for disclosure by way of example is designed particularly for handling coal mine cars which are relatively shallow and wide but it will readily be appreciated that the invention is not of limited nature in this respect, it being quite possible by changing somewhat the design, arrangement and dimensions of its various elements to adapt the same to handle cars which widely differ in shape and capacity.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a preferred form of dumping apparatus;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is atop plan view of a portion of the apparatus showing in chain lines a coal mine car positioned thereon;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the same;

Figure 5 is a section on line5 5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is an end elevation of the apparatus as viewed from the left, Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 7 is a section on line 7-7 of Figure 3, showing however a portion only of the apparatus and to a larger scale,

Figure 8 illustrates partially in section and partially in chain lines a mine car in two of the positions which it occupies in passing thruthe apparatus;

Figure 9 is a detail;

Figures 1O, l1, l2 and 13 are views of other details hereinafter fully explained;

Figures 14 and 15 are plan and side elevation views of the arrangement of trackways associated with the dumping apparatus for conveniently handling cars;

Figure 16 is a plan view of a modified form of apparatus and Figure 1? is a side elevation thereof.

The invention contemplates in all of its forms and modifications a helical, or substantially helical, guide along which the cars are constrained to move in the dumping operation. Oneform of guide is indicated at 10 in the drawings and this guide,'as will be observed, comprises a twisted flanged beam or 1 section with its axis disposed in a substantially horizontal direction. The guide is of such length tnat a car passing therealong is rotated, in a plane transverse to its direction of travel, thru 860, that is, it is completely inverted and then ri 'lited. For each installation 1 preferably so design the guide that a minimum amount of work must be performed on the car to bring about its travel thru the apparatus. Thismeans, of course, that the. center of gravity of the loaded car lies on, or quite near, the axis of the helical guide so that substantially the only force required to advance the car along the guide is expended to overcome friction and not in-lifting the weight of the car and its load in the dumping operation. I further prefer to so dispose the couplings by means of which the cars are connected together in trains so that these couplings are approximately at the axis of the helical guide as the car passes therethru.

tion of the apparatus.

lVith this arrangement trains of cars may be passed thru the guide to the dumping apparatus without uncoupling the cars, thus greatly expediting the dumping operations and increasing the eificiency of the apparatus.

Continuing further the detailed descrip- It will be observed that the twisted beam which comprises the helical guide is supported by means of a plurality of brackets 11 from ring members 12,

six in number and disposed in vertical planes transverse to the axis of the guide, these ring members being in turn supported rigidly in position by four longitudinal I-beams 13. The base by means of which these last mentioned I-beams are supported from the ground is not illustrated and it will be understood that suitable concrete or frame base will be provided. lVhile the supporting means for the guide which I have just de scribed is an especially convenient and rugged structure, and one which I prefer to employ, it will be understood that its details may be modified as desired to suit conditions. Suitable lateral braces are of course employed as stiffening members, insuring rigidity.

A trackway comprising rails let and 15 is provided at one end of the dumping apparatus and loaded cars to be dumped are moved along this trackway axially of the dumping apparatus and into position to be engaged by the helical guide. After each car has been moved the length of the dumping apparatus and has been emptied and righted it is received upon a second trackway comprising rails 16 and 17 Asit passes onto the rails it is released by the guide and is free to move away from the dumping apparatus in the direction of th arrow A (Figure 14:) and, after being switched to a return track can be taken back to the mine for reloading.

The rails 14: and 15, it will be observed, terminate at the entrance end of the dumping apparatus and during the time that-the car is being revolved its wheels are not in contact with any rails or guides, the entire weight of the car being supported upon the helical guide 10. The grip of the car on the guide is not relinquished until the car wheels pass onto the rails 16 and 17 at the discharge end of the dumping apparatus. For engaging the helical guide each car is provided with two guide en aging blocks indicated at 18 and 19 respectively, these blocks being hereinafter designated slides altho they need not be formed exactly as slides, as will hereinafter appear.

'Slides 18 and 19 are similarly formed and are positioned at diagonally opposed corners of the car and securely bolted to its frame.

Preferably the slides are of iron or steel.

One of the slides is shown in detail in Figures 10 and 11 and it will be observed that it comprises a base plate 20 having a downwardly taneousl projecting portion 21 with a slot 22 T-shaped in cross section and helically curved longitudinally, formed therein. This slot is adapted to receive with a close fit the inner portion of the Lbeam or guide 10, as is clearly illustrated in Figure 10. The stems and heads of the slots 22 in the forward and rearward slides respectively are disposed in diiferent planes, as can be seen clearly in Figure 8, since it is necessary that both of these slides be in engagement with the guide 10 as the car passes thru the dumping apparatus, and at differentpoints along its length.

t is obvious that both slides must simuly engage the guide at the entrance end or the dumping apparatus and must simultaneously disengage the guide at the car discharge end. To permit this the inner portion or effective guiding portion of the guide is cut away at two points, indicated by the mnnerals 23 and 24'. At these points the guide cut down sufficiently to permit the downwardly projecting portion 21 of themoperating slide to pass across the remaining portion of the guide without touching the same and into such position that the entrance end of the slot 22 of each slide is in register with its correspondingly shaped head of the guide, so t-hat upon further transitory moveme t of the car the adjacent portions of the guide enter the slots 22. The ends of slots 22 are flared slightly to permit'easy entrance the guide.

It will be observed that an angle plate has one flange thereof secured to the outer face of the guide beam 10 and a second portion parallel to the web of beam 10, thus forming a channel or slot to one side of the guide. Lying in this slot is a chain 31 of y suitable form, and which may be a cable if lesired, this chain having links 32 supported and guided on wear strips 33, 33 and 84, 34. At frequent intervals the chain is provided with upwardly extending lugs 35 which lie between the upper wear strips or guides 3st. Each slide is provided with a tongued portion 36 and, when the slides are in engagement with the guide, that one of tongues 36' which lies on the same side of the guide'as does the chain (the other lying on the opposite side of the guide), will project into the slot or channel in which the chain is disposed so as to lie in the path of lugs 35. In the operation of the dumping apparatus the chain, the ends of which are connected together so that it is endless. moves continually along the slot toward the discharge end of the apparatus, being drawn by any suitable type of power driven winding mechanism indicated generally at in the drawings. The sprockets 3'7 and 38 over which the chain passes just before it enters and just after it leaves the guide slot are so disposed that the return reach of the chain does not interfere with any of the other portions of the apparatus. Preferably the guide bars 34 are tapered, as shown in Figure 10, so that the downwardly projecting tongue 36 of the slide (which is correspondingly flared) may not escape therefrom in certain positions of the car.

As the car passes from the entrance to the discharge end of the apparatus it is necessary of course for the rear slide to pass over the cut away portion 23 of the guide andfor the forward slide to pass over the cut away portion 24. In Figure 8 the car in the position which it occupies in passingthe cut 23 is indicated by the letter B and in the position in which it is disposed in passing the cut 24, by the letter C- It will be observed that block 19 of the car in position B is not supported by the head of the guide but that this block is restingupon the upperedge of a plate 40 which is secured to the base of the guide in the same manner as is the plate 30. A narrow surface 41, therefore, of the forward slide constitutes an auxiliary sliding surface which operatively engages the upper edge of the plate 40 when that slide is passing out 23 in the guide to. firmly support the car. This auxiliary plate 40 is on the opposite side of the guide from the plate 30 and is coextensive 1n lengthwith the cut away portion 23 of the guide. 'At the cutaway portion 24 of the guide no auxiliary plate is necessary, as can be seen from position C of the car, the surface 41 of the forward slide18 engaging the upper surface of the continuous angle bar 30, the tongue 36 of slide 18 lying between the web of the guide and the angle bar 30. By forming the slides in the maner described and providing the supplementary plate 40 it is quite possible to have both slides-simultaneously engage the guide and disengage the same and yet have both slides in constant positive engagement with the guide thruout the entire length of their travel thereon. The angle plates and 40 may be constructed either separately as shown Figure 7 or integrally as in Figure 8, position B.

The cars are provided with swivel couplings 45 positioned near their centers of gravity in order that they may be passed thru the apparatus without uncoupling, the centers of gravity lying as closely as possible on the aXis of the helical guide. Of course the center of gravity of a loaded car is above the center of gravity of an empty one and the couplings therefore occupy compromise positions intermediate the two extreme centers of gravity. As shown in Figure 14 track rails 14 and 17 do not extend as far towardthe center of the apparatus as do rails 15 and 16 in order not to interfere with the initial andfinal tilting movements of thecars. In order tosteady eachcar just prior to starting of its dumping movement, and when it has not full rail support a guide means such as indicated at 46 (Figure 5) is provided which receives a wheel hub and supports the same for a short way. A similar guide or support may be provided at the opposite end of the apparatus. I The invention in its broadest aspect comprisesa guide by means of which a loaded car may be so inverted that its contents will be discharged or thrown out andduring which movement its center of gravity is not moved a substantial distance in a direction transverse to that in which the car is moving. In

other words the apparatus isso designed that a minimum amount of work 15 necessary to effect the dumping operation and a minimum be operated by the force ofgravity. In the latter instance it is necessary of course to 111- clinethe axis of the guide to a suflicient degree to enable the car to move downwardly by gravity, overcoming the frictional re sistance to sliding.

It is not necessary that the cars be rotated in the dumping operation thru 360 degrees, or thru a complete revolution, altho this is preferred, since the principle of the invention may beembodied in an apparatus hav ing a guide which rotates, the car only to dumping position and then back again without completely overturning it. It is, furthermore, not essential to the invention that the slides be permanently secured to the cars altho I prefer to-do this wherever possible. Thus the slides might be associated Withthe dumping apparatus and the car merely mounted on the slides as it comes into dumping position. The guide itself l'make pref erably helical and as short in length as pos siblefor the sake of economy. At the same time it will be readily understood that atrue helical form for-the guide is not necessary, providing that it is not ofsuch ashape as to subject the cars to shock or distortion due to any departure from the true helical conformation.

It will also be apparent that incertain in stallations that end of the apparatus into which the cars first pass may be lower than the opposite end. In such cases the power driven-chain must be employed to move the cars against the opposing gravitational and frictional forces. I ;Having,thus described the invention, what is claimed as new anddesired to be secured by Letters Patentis:

1. Dumping apparatus for mine cars and the like comprising a flanged beam disposed in the form of'a helix about a substantially horizontal axis, said beambeing formed'with two cut away portions inte'rmediate its ends for the passage of beam engaging members.

2. Dumping apparatus for mine cars or the like, comprising a helical guide disposed about a substantially horizontal axis, and including a flanged beam adapted to interengage with a guide engaging member on the car, said beam being formed with a cut away portion intermediateits ends to provide for the passage of one guide engaging member, said guide being formed at'said cut away portion with a flange spaced from and of less height than said beam to provide a support for another guide engaging member.

3. In a'propulsion system for mine cars or the like, a curved guide comprising a beam having a flanged head, spaced guide engaging members on each of said cars, adapted to slidingly engage the head of said beam, a portion of the head of said beam being cut away to provide for the engagement of one of said.

members intermediate of the ends of said guide, said guide being provided at said cut away portion with a supplemental guiding surface for engagement with another guide engaging member which at this point has already come into engagement with said guide. 4. In a car dumping apparatus in which the car is cause'd to invert and right itself by revolution about a fixed, substantially horizontal axis as it moves longitudinally of the apparatus, a helical guide including-a beam having flanges adapted to interengage with corresponding helical members on said car, portions of said beam being cutaway to provide for the engagement and disengagement therewith of certain of said members at points intermediate of the endsof said guide, said guide also including an angle plate secured to said beam at one side thereof, and forming a helical channel between said beam and said plate, a projecting element on said car adapted to enter saidchann'el, an endless chain disposed so as to move in said channel for a portion of its travel, projections on said chain adapted to engage said element for moving said car through said apparatus, said guide also including at certain of said cut away portions a supplemental guiding flange disposed at the other side of said beam for supporting and guiding a helical member on said car which is following said beam at the points where it passes said cut away portions, said angle plate being provided with a flange which is alsoadapted to engage and guide a helical member at a point where a portion of said beam is cut away.

5. The combination with an open topped car of dumping apparatus therefor, the car and apparatus having inte'rengaging portions whereby the car is cause'd'to invert and right itself by revolution about a fixed axis as it moves longitudinally of the apparatus, the arrangement being such that the center of gravity of the car both when loaded and empty lies close to the axis about which the car revolves in its dumping movement, said apparatus including a helical guide which forms the sole support of the car during its dumping movement.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5 in which the guide likewise supports means for moving the car through the apparatus.

7. Dumping apparatus for mine cars or the like, coinprising'a helical guidedisposed with its axis substantially horizontal, car propelling means, and means for constraining said car propelling means to follow a substantially helical path adjacent said guide.

8. Dumping apparatus for mine cars or the like, comprising a helical guide disposed with its axis substantially horizontal, a fieX- ible car propelling means, means for constrainin said car propelling means to follow ahelical path adjacent said'guide.

9. In. adumping apparatus for mine cars or the like, in which a caris caused to invert and right itself by revolution about a. fixed axis as it moves longitudinally of the apparatus, so that each point in said car spaced from the center of gravity of said car follows a substantially helical path, a projection on said car, acar propelling element, means for moving said element through said dumping apparatus in engagement with said projection, and means for constraining said element to follow a substantially helical path during its movementthrough said apparatus.

10. The combination set forth in claim 9 in which the car propelling element is an endless chain.

11 Dumping apparatus for mine cars or the like, comprising a helical guide disposed with its axis substantially horizontal, a housing adjacent said guide forming a channel extending throughout the length of said guide, and means adapted to move within said channel for engaging a portion of the car whereby said car may be. propelled through said apparatus.

12. In a car dumping apparatus in which the car is caused to invert and right itself by revolution about a fixed axis as it moves longitudinally of the apparatus, a helical guide having flanges adapted to interengage with corresponding helical members on said 'car, an angle plate secured to said guide and providing a channel between them, a projecting element on said car adapted to enter said channel, a chain disposed so as to move in said channel, a projection carried by said chain and adapted to engage said element and means for moving said chain, whereby said car may be drawn through the apparatus and the dumping operation performed.

13. The combination with a plurality of cars connected together by swivel couplings positioned at or adjacent their centers of gravity, and each car having guide engaging means, of dumping apparatus, said apparatus including a helical guide adapted to be engaged successively by the car guide engaging means as the cars pass through said apparatus, whereby said cars may be successively dumped without being uncoupled, a power driven traction chain supported by the guide for movement longitudinally thereof, said chain having means for engaging the guide engaging means of the cars, Whereby the cars may be drawn through the apparatus and the dumping operation performed by power.

14. Apparatus for dumping cars or the like, in which the car is caused to invert and right itself by revolutionabout a fixed axis as it moves longitudinally through the apparatus, comprising, in combination, a helical guide, and longitudinally spaced guide engaging members carried by the car, the engagement of said engaging members With said guide providing the sole means of supporting the car during the dumping movement.

15. Apparatus for dumping cars or the like, in which the car is caused to invert and right itself by revolution about a fixed axis as it moves longitudinally of the apparatus, comprising, in combination, a single helical guide, and two longitudinally spaced guide engaging members carried by thecar, the construction of said guide being such that said guide engaging members are caused to engage said guide simultaneously at spaced points along said guide upon entering the apparatus and to disengage said guide simultaneously at spaced points upon leaving said apparatus, the engagement of said members with said guide providing thesole means of supporting the car during the dumping movement.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afi'ix my signature.

JOHN D. PUGH. 

